Mi nombre es Jon DeLena, Agente Especial Asociado a Cargo de la División de Operaciones de Nueva Inglaterra. Quiere darles la bienvenida a la Operación Engage.
Como todos sabemos, hay demasiadas sobredosis de drogas, tanto mortales como no mortales, que afectan a nuestras comunidades y, lamentablemente, estas cifras van en aumento. Ante esta situación, la DEA ha emprendido esfuerzos de colaboración a nivel comunitario para ayudar a reducir estas cifras mediante la educación y la concienciación, utilizando nuestra amplia gama de recursos.
Nuestra división se centrará en la comunidad de Manchester, Nueva Hampshire, a través de la Operación Engage, dirigida contra la amenaza de la droga fentanilo. Otros componentes de la Operación Engage incluyen:
- Reuniones con las Partes Interesadas/Comunidad: Para compartir la información más reciente sobre las tendencias y amenazas de las drogas así como cualquier otra información pertinente.
- La Academia de Ciudadanos de la DEA: La DEA reconoce la importancia de forjar alianzas sólidas con las comunidades locales y de mantener relaciones de colaboración con los líderes comunitarios. La academia ofrece a los participantes la oportunidad de comprender las agencias antidrogas federales y el importante papel que desempeñan la DEA y la comunidad en la lucha contra el tráfico de drogas, el abuso del consumo de drogas y la violencia relacionada.
- Participación Juvenil: A través de programas como el Programa de Baile Juvenil de la Fundación Educativa de la DEA y en colaboración con CADCA y la Fundación Juvenil Mark Wahlberg, niños de todas las edades podrán participar activamente en actividades adecuadas a su edad y diseñadas para que aprendan y adquieran el máximo conocimiento sobre los peligros de las drogas de una forma divertida.
*(sitios web en inglés)
- Programas de Alcance Comunitario: La DEA y las partes interesadas concentrarán sus esfuerzos en las comunidades más afectadas por el consumo de fentanilo. En esas comunidades específicas, la División de Operaciones de Nueva Inglaterra facilitará estrategias de prevención que incluyen, entre otras, entrenamiento en prevención de drogas y asistencia técnica para las comunidades, acercamiento a las coaliciones y eventos para la campaña de devolución de medicamentos con prescripción médica, por nombrar algunos.
Solo disponemos de unos pocos recursos y oportunidades para compartir con nuestras comunidades.
Les invito a ustedes y a sus familias a explorar nuestra página web de la Operación Engage para conocer los numerosos recursos disponibles. El aprendizaje temprano en familia es el primer paso para evitar la experimentación con drogas, el consumo indebido de drogas, la drogadicción y todos los comportamientos relacionados que asolan nuestras comunidades.
Siempre a su servicio,
Agente Especial Adjunto a Cargo DeLena
Contact: Laura_Epstein@hassan.senate.gov
Senator Hassan, Congressman Pappas Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Crack Down on Deadly Xylazine
Criminals Increasingly Mix Xylazine with Fentanyl to Increase Potency, Leading to Overdose Deaths in NH
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan and Congressman Chris Pappas introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to crack down on a highly dangerous sedative that poses a new threat in New Hampshire’s opioid epidemic. Xylazine is an easily accessible veterinary tranquilizer that criminals are mixing with fentanyl to increase its potency and lower their production costs, and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services recently issued a health alert about the danger of its usage. Xylazine causes depressed breathing and heart rate, unconsciousness, necrosis, and even death, and naloxone does not reverse its effects because it is not an opioid. Senator Jeanne Shaheen also joined in introducing the legislation.
“Xylazine is hurting New Hampshire communities and contributing to the alarming rate of overdose deaths in our state,” Senator Hassan said. “Our bipartisan bill would take important steps to combat the abuse of xylazine by giving law enforcement more authority to crack down on the illicit distribution of this drug, including by putting stiffer penalties on criminals who are spreading this drug to our communities. My colleagues on both sides of the aisle are seeing the impact of this deadly drug in their states, and we will continue working together to move this critical bill forward.”
“As we continue to see xylazine being mixed with fentanyl, heroin, and other deadly drugs, it’s critical we take action to crack down on illegal use,” said Congressman Pappas. “This legislation would track the manufacture of xylazine, which is legally used as an animal tranquilizer, and ensure law enforcement has the resources needed to crack down on illegal drug traffickers. I hope that this legislation will be swiftly brought to the House floor for a vote, and I’ll continue working across the aisle, and alongside law enforcement and public safety experts, to craft comprehensive solutions that will help combat our ongoing addiction epidemic.”
“The prevalence of Narcan-resistant xylazine has exacerbated the substance use disorder crisis in New Hampshire and across the nation. The level of danger this creates for those who use it, either knowingly or not, is incredibly high and far too often turns deadly,” said Shaheen, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that funds anti-opioid grant programs. “Our communities have endured the unimaginable and overwhelming grief of losing loved ones to the fentanyl epidemic for too long, and the introduction of xylazine is exacerbating this public health crisis. I’m glad to partner with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle on this new bill that would classify xylazine as a Schedule III drug to help get it out of the hands of everyday Granite Staters and Americans. As chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the Drug Enforcement Administration and other federal agencies working to combat the substance use disorder crisis, I’ll continue efforts to stop the flow of these illicit drugs from reaching our communities.”
“Fentanyl and xylazine can be a lethal combination, and it is making New Hampshire’s opioid epidemic even worse,” said Colonel Nathan Noyes of the New Hampshire State Police. “This bipartisan bill from Senator Hassan, Representative Pappas, and Senator Shaheen will take crucial steps to help law enforcement go after the illegal use of this drug and help save lives.”
Despite alarming reports about the rise of xylazine, federal, state and local law enforcement do not have the tools necessary to effectively track it or crack down on traffickers using it to increase their profits.
The bipartisan, bicameral Combating Illicit Xylazine Act would address the current gap in federal law by:
-
Imposing stronger penalties for the illicit use of xylazine;
-
Enabling the Drug Enforcement Administration to track its manufacturing to ensure it is not diverted to the illicit market;
-
Requiring a report on prevalence, risks, and recommendations to best regulate illicit use of xylazine;
-
Ensuring all analogues of xylazine are covered when restricting its illicit use;
-
Declaring xylazine an emerging drug threat.
Xylazine is a medication used by some veterinarians and farmers, and the bill cracks down on the illegal distribution of this drug while safeguarding access for professionals who use the drug legally. The bill is supported by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Senator Hassan is working to crack down on illicit drug trafficking. Senator Hassan recently visited Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras as part of a bipartisan congressional delegation trip to speak with foreign officials about efforts to crack down on drug trafficking. In addition, the most recent year-end funding bill included a measure backed by Senator Hassan to extend fentanyl analogue scheduling, in order to keep criminals from using loopholes to traffic deadly opioids. The Senator successfully worked to secure her bipartisan measure in the 2021 year-end funding bill to hold countries such as China accountable for facilitating America’s fentanyl-fueled substance misuse crisis. Senator Hassan also worked with her colleagues to pass into law the bipartisan INTERDICT Act, which has provided critical tools to Customs and Border Protection to help detect and intercept fentanyl and other illegal synthetic opioids.
###
Learn more about the history and effects of drugs with neat, printable fact sheets (all PDFs) that can serve as handy resources by visiting https://www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov/publication/drug-fact-sheets.
Check out this list of local organizations that provide services to the public regarding addiction, community empowerment, drug education and prevention, drug take back programs, recovery, and overall health and wellness.
BeBOLD of Bedford
Boys and Girls Club of Manchester and Nashua
CADY – Communities for Alcohol and Drug-Free Youth
DEA Dance Program
Dover Youth 2 Youth
Elks Manchester
Lions Club Manchester
Makin’ It Happen Coalition for Resilient Youth
Manchester Police Athletic League
Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy – Manchester Campus
New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Raymond Coalition for Youth
Rehabs.org
Teen Challenge of New Hampshire
The NH Governor’s Youth Counsel
Looking for prevention resources specifically for young people? Go to the teen-focused site www.justthinktwice.com/. Here, they'll be able to get facts about drug use and learn ways to live a drug-free life.
Go to FindTreatment.gov to search for general drug treatment facilities in your area. On this site, you can find facilities that offer various payment options (including free and no-cost care), youth treatment facilities, special programs for Veterans, plus more.
Otherwise, enter your zipcode below to find substance abuse treatment facilities in your area.
Sign up for email updates about Manchester's Operation Engage Initiative.
Stay up to date with the Operation Engage initiative in Manchester by following: DEA New England's Twitter account @DEANewEngland, and the hashtags: #OpEngageNH and #EngagewithNH